Why setting and celebrating milestones is important to you and your life
Walk down the greeting card aisle, and you can see a card for just about anything: First Steps, First car, Graduations, Weddings, Promotions, Births, Birthdays, Retirement, and so very many others. We recognize milestones in our lives as a matter of course, as we should. Many of these are set by our society and cultures for us. Milestones are a way by which we mark our development and growth through life, judge our success, and describe our season of life. I invite you to both set and celebrate the milestones in your life.
Because milestones give us the direction we need to be clear about what direction we are choosing. When setting milestones for your life to make sure they are in-line with your personal value system, not that of anyone else. Otherwise, you’ll be unhappy when you get there. When your values and milestones are in conflict, you aren’t living authentically. “I did it because I thought that is what I should do.”, “I just figured that was the next step in life.” “Everyone in my family does this.” are the common laments of an inauthentic life. Give yourself permission to change or expand on your milestones if you need, circumstances of life can change so be sure to reassess your milestones (and your goals to reach them) when necessary. Set milestones based on your unique value system, be specific about what you want to achieve and pursue it with a passion and vigor that only comes from your authentic self.
Once you reach your milestone, don’t forget to stand and bask in your success. You did this; you deserve it! Celebrating milestones gives us the opportunity to learn from the path that brought us to that moment and to preserve those learnings, and recognize our growth. No one is going to work harder for your life than you, use these moments to reward your hard work, and give yourself the credit you deserve. Your celebration doesn’t have to be a big event like a wedding, but you should mark the occasion however it feels right to you. However you decide to honor the time and commitment you put forth, make sure you do.
Intentional and authentic milestones are an important piece to getting the life you want. Setting milestones that are in-line with your values and goals and celebrating when you reach them are both important to your life. It is never too early or late to start.
